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Transdermal microconduits by microscission for drug delivery and sample acquisition
Terry O Herndon1, Salvador Gonzalez, T R Gowrishankar
1Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA. herndon@mit.edu <herndon@mit.edu>
BMC Medicine
|April 20, 2004
Summary
Microscissioning creates tiny skin channels for rapid drug delivery and blood sampling. This painless, minimally invasive technique offers a new way to transport molecules across the skin barrier.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Dermatology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Minimally invasive molecular transport across human skin is highly sought after for drug delivery and analyte acquisition.
- Current methods for creating skin microconduits are often stochastic and limited in control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of microscissioning for creating controlled microconduits in human skin.
- To evaluate the potential of these microconduits for drug delivery and biological sample acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Microscissioning utilizes a controlled flux of accelerated micro-inert particles to create microconduits in the stratum corneum and epidermis.
- The process involves a mask held against the skin, with particles scizing tissue removed by gas flow, creating open microconduits of controllable depth.
Main Results:
- Microconduits significantly reduced skin electrical impedance, facilitating transdermal transport.
- Demonstrated rapid in vivo drug delivery (lidocaine anesthesia in 3 minutes vs. 1.5 hours without).
- Successfully obtained blood samples for glucose monitoring via microconduits, with minimal sensation.
Conclusions:
- Microscissioned microconduits offer a minimally invasive platform for molecular delivery and biological fluid extraction.
- The microconduits are controllable in depth and diameter, fully open, and leave no visible foreign bodies after healing.
- Microscissioning is a painless and rapid procedure with significant potential for transdermal applications.